


Counting Fingers

by devilinthedetails



Category: PIERCE Tamora - Works, Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Family, Father and Son, Gen, Humor, Loss, Mathematics, counting fingers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-08-05 12:27:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16367771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/devilinthedetails/pseuds/devilinthedetails
Summary: Gary discovers a new way of counting on his fingers.





	Counting Fingers

**Author's Note:**

> This story contains references to corporal punishment of children but doesn't actually depict any.

Counting Fingers

“Father.” Gary’s plea for attention interrupted Gareth’s focus on drafting legislation for the council’s review. They were in Gareth’s study, where Gareth was busy writing laws to govern the country while his six-year-old son was supposedly finishing a mathematics assignment though to Gareth he seemed more interested in posing incessant questions with no discernible connection to mathematics. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be solving your mathematics problems for your tutor, son?” Gareth pointed his quill sternly at his six-year-old. 

“I am.” Gary’s eyes were a wide, wounded deer brown. “My comment is about mathematics, Father.” 

“Very well.” Gareth’s gaze was narrow and suspicious as his thin lips. “I warn you if it isn’t about mathematics I may be tempted to box your ears.” 

Mithros above knew that Gareth tried not to physically discipline his son but there were times when his rambunctious boy would test the patience of a god, which Gareth most assuredly wasn’t. 

Remarkably unfazed by the threat to his ears, Gary continued cheerfully, “I’m learning about multiples of nine with my tutor, and you can calculate them through ten on your fingers.” 

“Can you?” Gareth had never noticed such a thing but Gary was always alert for any trick that might reduce the complexities of mathematics. 

“Yes.” Gary bobbed his head eagerly, obviously pleased to have detected a fact that had escaped his father’s observation. “You put down the finger of whichever multiple of nine you’re looking to find, Father. The number of fingers before the lowered one represent the first digit, and the number after the lowered finger stand for the second digit. It’s simple”—

Gary’s excitement dimmed slightly as his eyes flickered to the hole where one of Gareth’s fingers had once been, and he amended in a quieter voice, “It’s simple if you have all your fingers, that is.” 

“Indeed,” agreed Gareth crisply. He had recovered from the wound of his lost finger long ago. Now he saw it as a strength, not a weakness. “An excellent reason for you to endeavor to keep all your fingers attached to your body, lad. However will you calculate your multiples of nine otherwise?” 

“I’d find another way, Father.” Gary gave his smuggest smile. “I can be very devious when I want to…” 

“You don’t need to tell me that,” muttered Gareth sardonically as he returned to his legislation drafting.


End file.
